As we all know, allergic diseases, particularly in childhood, are becoming more and more common. It’s not just that we are becoming more aware of allergic diseases, think of the frequent announcements on airplanes about peanut allergies, or food allergy questions by the waiter at dinner. No, the reality of the situation is that, by and large, allergies are simply far more common than they used to be.

So, why is this happening? Let’s take a step back and recognize that the intestines, oddly enough, actually play an important role in determining our immune responsiveness. Specifically, we now understand that the gut lining itself actually plays an important role in regulating immune function. Permeability, or leakiness, of the gut lining is associated with alteration in immune function as well as changes to the set point of inflammation.Continue reading

It has now become fairly common knowledge that antibiotics are disruptive in terms of the health, functionality, and diversity of the gut bacteria. Beyond antibiotics, there has been a lot of information provided by scientific researchers demonstrating that acid-blocking medications, similarly, have a negative effect on the intestinal microbiome. Now, Researchers are concluding that at least some of the important side effects of both of these groups of medications may represent consequences of changes in the intestinal bacteria.

An important new study, Extensive Impact of non-antibiotic Drugs on the Human Gut, published by German researchers, focuses on the potential of other types of pharmaceuticals to also damage the gut bacteria. This extensive study actually evaluated the effects upon various bacterial strains of more than 1,000 marketed drugs that are used primarily in humans.

Antibiotics play an important role in medicine. Without a doubt, they can be absolutely life-saving. However, our own CDC tells us that about 30% of antibiotics used in America are used inappropriately or unnecessarily. That said, we are all generally familiar with the consequences of antibiotic abuse, including the creation of antibiotic-resistant organisms, as well as changes that can happen to the gut microbiota.

But there’s a new discovery with reference antibiotics that is turning out to be very important. We as physicians have always been trained to believe that antibiotics, while affecting bacteria, have no effect on the cells of the human body. We are now learning that this may not be the case. As you will see in the video, new research is demonstrating that antibiotics may have a dramatic effect in terms of damaging mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles that live within our cells. When we recognize that problems with mitochondrial function underlie many of our degenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, the idea that commonly-used antibiotics might threaten mitochondrial function becomes quite important.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than a quarter billion courses of antibiotics are dispensed to outpatients in America each year. That means that five out of every six people, on average, are getting a prescription for an antibiotic. The CDC tells us:

At least 30% of antibiotics prescribed in the outpatient setting are unnecessary, meaning that no antibiotic was needed at all.

There are many reasons for concern as it relates to the overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics. Creating antibiotic-resistant organisms is a major global issue. In addition, new research indicates that antibiotic exposure may significantly increase the risk for obesity, as well as type II diabetes. Continue reading

Autism is a subject on the tip of everyone’s tongue, and an area of ongoing medical research. The more we study, the more we begin to learn what could be at the root of autism, and factors that impact baseline risk for autism, like childhood exposure to antibiotics.

Dr. David Perlmutter is on the cutting edge of innovative medicine that looks at all lifestyle influences on health and illness. His work has helped me better understand ways to maintain and improve brain function and to prevent and treat diseases of the nervous system that are not managed well by conventional medicine.

Andrew Weil, MD

America's best-known complementary care physician and author of several bestselling books including Healthy Aging and his latest Spontaneous Happiness.